Andy Holding has stepped away from short price favourites in his Wednesday tips.
15.35 Nottingham
Some potentially useful handicappers from powerful stables make for an intriguing and likely informative contest and a chance is taken with EXISTENTIAL (best price 16-1) who has at least shown on two occasions that she knows her way around the Midland venue. On her first visit to Colwick Park, Clive Cox’s filly ran out an impressive ten length victor over a well-regarded William Haggas-trained colt who went on to score tidily at Haydock subsequently and although she failed in her bid to repeat the dose two months later, a combination of soft underfoot conditions over 1m2f and racing on the slowest part of the track in the home straight put paid to any chance she might have had behind runaway winner Collide.
Obviously, there’s plenty of guesswork involved with a filly that’s been off the track for 175 days, but at least she’s the sort of price that you don’t have to pay a huge premium to find out whether she’s up to scratch after her layoff and it would be a surprise if she wasn’t capable of running to a fair level at the very least.
18.15 Kempton
Pentland Lad looks something of a penalty kick on the evidence of his smooth success over tonight’s C&D last time out, but his price rather unfortunately reflects his chance, so the safest option is to play the ever-consistent EYE OF THE WATER (best price 4-1 W/Out Pentland Lad).
Really coming into his own during the winter all-weather months, Ronald Harris’ gelding got no more than he deserved after a series of placed efforts when finally getting his head in front at Wolverhampton two starts ago, staying on really strongly in the closing stages of that 6f contest. Although unable to follow up at Lingfield last time, he ran a perfectly respectable race in third and with one of today’s opponents, Fox Happy beaten on merit in behind, the son of Lilbourne Lad is taken to confirm that form.
Having run well over 7f at Chelmsford back in December, tonight’s extra furlong shouldn’t pose too many issues and from his potentially ground-saving draw around the inside, the three-year-old looks booked for another podium finish.
